CVE-2026-53242: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ALSA: PCM: Fix wait queue list corruption in snd_pcm_drain() on linked streams snd_pcm

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ALSA: PCM: Fix wait queue list corruption in snd_pcm_drain() on linked streams snd_pcm_dra

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ALSA: PCM: Fix wait queue list corruption in snd_pcm_drain() on linked streams snd_pcm_drain() uses init_waitqueue_entry which does not clear entry.prev/next, and add_wait_queue with a conditional remove_wait_queue that is skipped when to_check is no longer in the group after concurrent UNLINK. The orphaned wait entry remains on the unlinked substream sleep queue. On the next drain iteration, add_wait_queue adds the entry to a new queue while still linked on the old one, corrupting both lists. A subsequent wake_up dereferences NULL at the func pointer (mapped from the spinlock at offset 0 of the misinterpreted wait_queue_head_t), causing a kernel panic. Replace init_waitqueue_entry/add_wait_queue/conditional remove_wait_queue with init_wait_entry/prepare_to_wait/ finish_wait. init_wait_entry clears prev/next via INIT_LIST_HEAD on each iteration and sets autoremove_wake_function which auto-removes the entry on wake-up. finish_wait safely handles both the already-removed and still-queued cases.

Description from the National Vulnerability Database, published by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

What it means for a small business

Linux is on the computers, phones or browsers your team uses every day. Turn on automatic updates and restart: most of these fixes only take effect after a restart.

How likely is an attack? The Exploit Prediction Scoring System, run by FIRST (the global association of security response teams), puts the odds of this one being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.10%, higher than 0% of CVEs. That’s low, but low isn’t zero, and the odds jump the day someone publishes an exploit. Scored October 29, 2026, updated daily.

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Sources

Part of the Huttenlocher Technologies vulnerability database, refreshed twice a day from CISA and the NVD. The title, category and plain-language guidance are ours; check the linked record before acting on a detail. This is general guidance, not a review of your systems.

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